Automobile top construction



June 29, 1943. J. FALCON 2,322,839

AUTOMOBILE TOP CONSTRUCTION Filed July 1. 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1- June29, 1943. J. FALCON AUTOMOBILE TOP CONSTRUCTION Filed July 1, 1939 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 29, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEAUTOMOBILE TOP CONSTRUCTION Jeronimo Falcon, Detroit, Mich.

Application July 1, 1939, Serial No. 282,508

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a new and improved automobile top constructionfor use on so-called convertible cars.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple, efficient andreliable construction for raising and lowering the automobile top.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction in whichthe top is extended in two stages.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a constructionwhereby the means for extending the top over the car cannot come intooperation until the collapsed top has been moved from horizontalposition to substantially vertical position first.

With these and other objects in view which will become apparent from thedetailed description below a preferred embodiment of the invention isshown in the drawings in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevational View showing the outrigger in fullyextended position;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view showing the outrigger in collapsedcondition in the intermediate position and illustrating the collapsedmechanism in dotted lines in horizontal position or the final collapsedposition;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of some of the elements on a largerscale; and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a detail.

Referring to' the drawings in which like reference characters indicatelike parts in the various views the plunger cylinders for raising thetop construction are shown at I and I I. The cylinder I0 is larger thancylinder I I and more power, ful and is utilized for swinging thecollapsed top from position A in Figure 2 to position B. The drawingsonly show one pair of cylinders I0 and i I but it is understood thatanother pair of cylinders similar thereto are used on the other side ofthe car. The cylinders I0 and II are pivotally mounted at I2 and I3respectively to the vehicle floor or framework. A conduit I4 isconnected by a nipple I I to the lower portion of the cylinder Ii foroperating the plunger I5 thereof and a conduit It is connected by anipple I8 to the nipple I1 and passes over a pulley I9 and the other endof the conduit I6 is connected to a right angular nipple secured to thelower end of the cylinder It! for operating the plunger 2|.

The plunger 2| is pivotally connected by the pivot pin 22 to one cornerof a triangularly shaped member 23 which is pivotally connected at 24 toa standard or other fixed portion of the automobile body. The triangularmember 23 has rigidly fixed thereto at another corner 25 the main bow 26of the top construction. The corner 25 is preferably provided withextensions 2! which are secured by any desired means to the main bow 26.By means of the construction described the main bow 26 carrying all theother elements may swing about the pivot point 24 from the full lineposition shown in Figure 2 at position B to the substantially horizontalposition indicated in dotted lines at position A in Figure 2.

The means for extending the outrigger will now be described. This meanscomprises a guide rod 28 preferably having a square cross sectionsecured pivotally to the triangular member 23 at 29 at one end andhaving at the other end an abutment 39 which contacts the main bow 26.If desired the guide rod 28 may be fixedly secured at both of its endsto the triangular member 23 and the main bow 26 respectively. Slidingupon the guide rod 29 is a tubular member 3| more particularly shown inFigure 4 and the tubular member has secured to opposite sides thereof anextension 32 extending upwardly and an extension 33 extendingdownwardly. The downwardly extending extension 33 is pivotally securedat 34 to the upper end of the plunger I5 and the upwardly extendingextension 32 is pivotally secured by pivot 35 to one end of a curvedlink 36.

The other end of the link 36 is pivotally connected at 38 to the link 31intermediate the ends of the link 31. One end of the link 31 is pivotedat 39 to the main bow 26 while the other end is pivotally connected at40 to the extreme forward link 4| which is attached to the header, notshown. The link 32 is pivotally connected at one end thereof at 43 tothe main bow and the other end is pivotally connected at M to theforward link 4| at a point intermediate the ends thereof,

The operation of the construction is as follows. After the collapsed topconstruction has been swung from position A to position 13 then theplunger I5 comes into action and fully extends the top construction fromthe position of position B to that shown in Figure 1. In accomplishingthis upon an upward movement of the plunger I5 the tubular element 3|slides along the guide rod 28 and in doing so the link 36 is urgedupwardly and swings the links 31, 4| and 42 outwardly into the positionshown in Figure 1.

As is obvious when the top is in the fully collapsed position or inposition A the plunger I5 is prevented from acting to move the tubularmember 3| along the guide rod 28 due to the positioning thereof. Theassembly is such that a very reliable and simple two-stage actuation ofan automobile top is accomplished. Furthermore the provision of thetubular element 3| sliding upon the guide bar 28 is extremely certainand sure and no binding can possibly occur.

I claim:

1. In combination in a convertible top mechanism, a main bow pivotallyattached to a vehicle body, a bracket secured to said bow, a pushrodhaving a fixed pivotal attachment to the outer end of said bracket toprovide a lever arm with respect to said bow, a cylinder pivotallymounted at its lower end, said pushrod terminating in a pistontraversa-ble in said cylinder, a second bracket secured to said bow, acollar slidably mounted on said bracket with respect to said how, asecond pivotally mounted cylinder having a second piston rod traversabletherein and pivotally secured at its outer end to said collar saidcollar being pivotally secured in turn to folding outrigger membersadapted to support the top covering, and a fluid pressure lineconnecting said cylinders in series, the first named piston rod beingresponsive to fluid pressures to elevate said bow, the second piston rodbeing locked against movement of said collar during bow elevatingmovements and automatically free to respond to continued pressure insaid fluid pressure line upon completion of extending movement by saidfirst piston whereby the leading edge of said top is prohibited fromexceeding substantially the height of said bow during elevatingmovements, said second cylinder being rockable with the first cylinderduring elevating and lowering movements of the top.

2. In combination in a convertible top mechanism, a main bow pivotallyattached to a vehicle body, a cylinder pivotally mounted at its lowerend below said bow and having a piston rod projecting therefrom, atriangular bracket secured at one corner to said bow adjacent its pointof pivotal attachment to said body, said bracket abutting said bow alongits length at another corner and pivotally secured to said piston rod atits other corner, a collar slidably mounted with respect to said bow, asecond cylinder substantially parallel to the first cylinder alsopivotally mounted at its lower end and having a piston rod pivotallyattached to said collar, said piston rod being of different length, asingle fluid pressure line connecting said cylinders in series, andmeans prohibiting actuation of the second piston rod until elevatingmovement of the first piston rod has been completed, said second pistonrod upon being allowed to move traversing said collar to cause extendingmovements of the top.

JERONIMO FALCON.

